What you said. The academic is ignoring the obvious. What the Mayans and Aztecs did was horrible. But since they are part of that non/white European world, well that makes it just wonderful and "cultural". Instead of the cruel, barbaric, savage acts they really were. These academics display their ignorance and racism when they set up different moral codes for different cultures. The witch-killing and religious wars of the middle ages in Europe were horrible. As a descendent of white Europeans I have no problem saying that. Why can't these academia nuts do the same?
Yeah that's my read as well. Since they were "people of color" that makes it all just fine.
Bait and switch sometimes works. On a couple of occasions when the subject has come up, I've "prepared the battlefield" by taking off on the Spaniards. I start with the observation that 16th century Europe was a brutal place but that even there Spanish cruelty was a byword. I toss in a glancing reference to the Inquisition. A multiculti type will be nodding fiercely at this implicit defense of the Indians.
Then I spring the trap by noting that what has to be understood is that, bad as the Spanish were by our standards, the Indians of Mexico horrified even them. The carnage shocked even the scourge of Europe. Game, set, match.